Published by Bohol Sunday Post
First of all, huge props to the editor for finally providing space for a photography column in this paper. This is a first for Bohol and hopefully this would pave the way for other local media outlets to follow suit.
Digital photography has picked up pace in the past year. Although only a few photographers have turned serious with the craft, more and more people are buying digital cameras for a lot of purposes. On a personal experience as a wedding photographer, I have seen a lot of guests bringing cameras to the wedding – even the little kids. And people are taking great pictures too, I should say.
Thus, for those of you who are planning to buy your first digital camera, here are five helpful tips you might want to consider before rushing to the store.
1. Determine what you need. Darren Rose from Digital Photography School wrote, “A mistake I see some digital camera buyers are making is that they get sucked into buying cameras that are beyond what they really need.” Quite true, too. Assess your needs first. Do you need an expensive DLSR camera or a cheaper compact camera? What is your budget range? Are you willing to shell out more money to buy more lenses and accessories? Are you planning to become a professional and earn money from photography some day? These are some of the questions you should ask yourself first to make a better decision on which camera to get. Ask your friends. Inquire online. You don’t want to regret later.
2. Stick to the mainstream brands. Doing a quick google on the top camera brands of 2009, I saw that Canon, Sony, Nikon, Olympus, Kodak and Panasonic Lumix are there up top. You can never go wrong with these cameras. Their features are almost all identical and they sell units for most budget ranges.
3. Don’t bother with the megapixels. (A friendly tip, don’t come to me asking what much megapixels my camera has. It is extremely annoying.) Features like megapixels and digital zooms are marketing ploys to fool the casual buyers. Megapixels don’t matter anymore since almost all cameras have decent resolutions already these days. And besides, you almost NEVER print your photos anyway. There are more important things to consider such as image quality, ergonomics, price range, optical quality and others.
4. Try out different cameras before you buy. Check out cameras of your friends or at the camera store. Hold it in your hands and feel it. Is it easy to use? Does it feel snug in your hands? Check out the menu and other features. Do you need them? Check out the price. Check out the image quality on the computer and in print. Usually, if it looks good on the computer, it should look better on print. Take time to choose your camera. You will be using it for a long time – hopefully.
5. Finally, the best camera is the one in your hands. You should not wait too long to buy your first camera. As soon as you get the budget for the next best – and cheaper – camera on your list, buy it. There are a lot of missed opportunities when you keep procrastinating. You can always sell your camera and upgrade as soon as your budget and experience allows it.
There. I hope these quick tips will help you decide on which camera to buy. To get more help on your decision, I suggest you go online. Google it. Go through all the reviews. Be as passionate a buyer as when you are taking photos. After all, this little hobby of ours is built on the foundations of passion itself – char.
Have a fun and blessed New Year. Happy shooting!
(For questions and comments regarding this column, please email me at ryanmacalandag@yahoo.com or hit me up on Facebook. You may also catch me on these websites: ryanmacalandag.blogspot.com and www.flickr.com/ryanmacalandag. Please watch out for photography workshops and clinics available soon.)
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